Camping Disaster
by Maddie-san
Summary: Unexpected camping trip. What could go wrong?


**A/N: It's a silly oneshot I just needed to get out of my head! For you Nikki! **

**Camping Disaster**

**Oneshot**

"Got room for one more?"

Kouga blinked as he stared ahead, watching the perky girl in front of him smile brightly at him as she held up a yellow backpack. Today was their annual camping trip, and he had invited her months back. She had been forced to refuse since it fell on the same weekend as Inuyasha's birthday and they had never discussed the matter further. To say that he was surprised to see her standing in front of his doorstep, all ready to do was an understatement to say the least.

"Hey," he finally managed to say. Apparently it was the wrong answer since her smile quickly faltered. _Fuck_. "Of course," he quickly added. "There's always room for my woman." He had to admit, he was dying to inquire about the chain of events that led her to his doorstep but he kept his lips shut.

She stretched her lips into a smile again. "Thanks." It was an impulsive decision from beginning to end. She probably should not even be there but she was. Heck, she was not even sure she had packed all the appropriate stuff. God it had been an awful idea! She swallowed hard before finally allowing her heavy bag to hit the ground. "Hope I'm not too last minute."

He dismissed her with a wave of the hand. "Some of the guy aren't even ready yet. You should probably come in to wait. Did ya walk?"

She nodded.

"You can ride with me if ya want." Somehow his car had ended up with a free spot. He had kept asking if anyone needed a spot but nobody had voiced a need. It worked out perfectly for him.

Although, for Kagome he would have gladly made someone walk. Yes, he was now jokingly referring to her as his woman but it was because he had pursued her for a long time. Of course, she had been quite oblivious to it despite his blunt attempts. Then again, the puppy love she harbored for Inuyasha did not help her realize that he was pursuing her. The very first day he met her, he fell for her. It took him a long time to realize her heart belonged to another. Obviously he then thought they were an item, but he was quickly proven wrong.

For some reason that he could never understand, Inuyasha never closed the deal. It was clear that he was in love with Kagome, and he cared for her and yet Kouga watched him led her on for years. As a matter of fact, him and Inuyasha had gotten into a few fights over the years because of this. Years went by and Kouga had to resign himself to the harsh truth; he would never get the girl. Of course that did not mean he would stop caring for her. She had become a part of his pack and no matter what mutt face said, she would always be his woman.

Every year, he invited her to the camping trip and every year she refused because of Inuyasha's birthday. Every year except this year. And he was dying to know why. It was eating at him. But he did not want to spook her before they were even on the trip. He would hold himself back and see if she was willing to share the information on her own.

"Hey sis!" Before either of them could react, Ginta was already wrapping his arms around Kagome, hugging her tightly. "What are you doing here?"

"She's coming with us," Kouga hurried to answer, his eyes filled with warning.

"Really? That's great!" Although he knew of one person who would be highly upset but it hardly mattered; he much preferred Kagome. "Are you riding with us?"

"Of course she is you knucklehead. Now go tell everyone to move their lazy asses."

"Yes boss," were the last words out of his mouth before he sped away.

"Kouga…"

He knew that voice a little too well. He did not even need to turn around to know that he would find a loud mouth redhead behind him. And he was right.

"Kouga," she repeated as she launched herself forward at him, wrapping her arms around his large frame. "I need a ride. The guys told me I could ride with you."

His eyes narrowed; which guys? Was this why they had left an empty stop in his car?

Idiots.

Alright.

So maybe _no one_ had told her to ride with him. Maybe she had paid attention to the conversations around her and had done some basic maths. That had led her to the conclusion that Kouga had enough free space to bring her along. Of course, she could not explicitly tell him that. Yes, she was about to go forward with her big confession but it would wait during a little later into this weekend. She had to make sure he would be in the right mood and he was way too stressed out for that right now.

"Hm."

He thought this was going to be a quiet ride. Kagome in the front with him, the boys in the back… but if this was the only car with a spot left, he could not exactly say no and leave her behind. Obviously her very not well hidden feelings for him made the situation slightly awkward but…

"Sure."

Immediately a huge smile beamed on her face. Without thinking twice about it, she reached out for the door handle of the passenger's seat, ready to sit beside him for the 3 hours ride.

It was then that he stopped her. "Oh sorry, someone's already there, but we got a free spot in the back." If he had to take her and endure the awkwardness, he would at least keep Kagome by his side. He needed to have that at the very least.

Disappointment immediately showed on her face. She did her best to let a small _oh_ slip her before she plastered a fake smile on her face. "In the back it is," she said through tight lips.

Yup, he was right. It would be an awkward trip. Just his fucking luck.

-O-

If looks could kill.

Things had taken a plunge for the worse when Kagome stepped into the vehicle. Luckily, the boys were able to smell Ayame before they saw her which prompted them to hurry into the backseat, leaving Kagome with very little seating options but the front seat. Of course, Ayame's aura flared up the moment Kagome sat down beside him and one hour later, her rage was still going strong. At least Kagome had yet to notice. That or she was being extremely polite about the whole thing.

Then again, there was the possibility that she was distracted by whatever had caused her to ditch Inuyasha and come to the camping trip. But he was not about to ask and give Ayame free ammo to attack Kagome.

"So, Sis. Whatcha been up to?" Ginta asked, hoping to break some of the tension.

Kagome turned her head slightly to the right, allowing her to see Ginta through the crack between the door and the seat. "Not much. School's been keeping me busy. What about you guys?"

"Same old, same old." They were not going to get an answer out of her in such a crowded vehicle were they? This change in situation was amazing and they wanted Kouga to use it to his advantage. He was known for wasting a lot of opportunities when it came to Kagome and their priority was to make sure that he did not do that again.

"Kouga is being too modest," Ayame volunteered. "He's a very busy man. He spends his time chasing women," she said with a laughter. Clearly, she herself could not play the girlfriend card or she would be ratted out, but she would be damned if she did not do anything about this girl hanging around her man. She needed her to learn that Kouga was already sort of taken and not interested.

"Kouga chasing women?" Kagome volunteered with a quirked eyebrow. Yes, she had known him to be quite cocky and he had jokingly flirted with her in the past, but she hardly saw him as a player.

"If you call chasing medals on the tracks, chasing women," he said, his head tilted to the side, a big smile plastered on his face. What the fuck was Ayame trying to pull here? He had been pinning for this girl for as long as he could remember and he had not careful as to not give this kind of vibe and now she was trying to completely ruin it for him. Hopefully Kagome would not buy into those lies.

Before focusing his attention back on the road, he made sure to throw a subtle glance in Ayame's direction. He had no problem with leaving her on the side of the road to fend for herself. He had been generous once. He would not repeat that mistake a second time. It was Kagome's first camping trip - it would be perfect.

"I don't think I could see you as a professional skirt chaser," Kagome finally added. Had she ever even see him with a girl since they became friends? Probably not. At least, not that she could remember. A giant flirt maybe, but nothing more. He was a good guy. When they initially met, he flirted with her a lot. At first, she had thought it meant he might be showing an interest in her. But the comments were so bold and continous... And although he was vocal about it - he had never made an actual move; he never asked her out on a date or anything. So, things continued. They became friends, and he never really pursued her. It was fine, he was a great friend. She just realized that his flirting was for humorous purposes, and he was a very pack centered friendly guy. It was fine. Plus, she had been busy and had not considered getting into a relationship. It was good because else, she might have embarassed herself.

"Good."

At least she knew him. Although if Ayame did not shut the fuck up soon, he was going to drop her off the side of the road. He knew she had feelings for him but how was this the smart way to go about it? Did she think he would be grateful to her for fucking things up with Kagome? Then again, he was acting like he had a chance in the first place. He had initially been bold in his pursuit of her. He flirted with her, he hinted at the two of them getting together, but it never worked. Kagome laughed at his comments and did not reciprocate. It took him a while but after months of it, he realized that she was being nice and trying to politely turned him down. Alright, maybe a few people pointed it out to him before he realized it. Still. A friendship was not the outcome he had hoped for between the two of them, but anything he could get from her, he would take it. At least if they were friends, she was in his life and it would have to suffice.

"Just because you get around Ayame that everyone does," Ginta pointed out. Obviously, it was not true; Ayame only had eyes for Kouga and everyone knew it. Still, it was time to shift the focus away from Kouga. He had watched him pin for Kagome for way too long now and this little dance needed to end. He had seen Kagome stare at Kouga before and he could tell that she was not indifferent to the wolf. And of course, who could forget the years Kouga spent pinning over her. He did resign him - thinking she was in love with Inuyasha - but there was no need for that.

"Excuse me," screeched Ayame. "I don't sleep around. Kouga, tell him."

Kouga shrugged, his attention focused on the road. "I wouldn't know."

Ayame could not see from where she was sitting, but Kagome could spot the tiny smirk on his lips. Obviously, Ayame was not pleased by her presence. If the glares filled with daggers were not enough, Kagome could sense it in her aura. Clearly, feelings were involded. Although from the way Kouga was reacting to her, they were not reprocicated. As far as Kagome knew the two of them had never dated, but there could be parts of Kouga's life that she did not know. Did he not like Ayame or did he simply not want a relationship with her?

Kouga could hear Ayame protesting in the background which prompted him to turn on the volume on the radio. Anything would be better than listening to her complain for the rest of the trip.

The one down side?

He would not be able to talk to Kagome.

-O-

Ah yes.

Now that she was watching everyone set up their tents, it made sense. She only wished it had been so obvious to her when she had been packing. Yes, she had her sleeping bag... But that was it. In a rush to make it before the boys left, she had completely forgotten to consider the fact that a tent was needed to camp. And now she was already here and she was tent-less. _Idiot. _A tent should have been the first thing she packed. It was _camping_ – she could totally sleep outside, enjoying the moonlight and the star filled sky no? A long sigh dragged from her lips as she dropped her bag to the ground, using it as a seat.

"Taking a break?" Kouga's voice vibrated through her as he snuck up from behind her.

"Oh," she began, twirling with a strand of her hair before neatly tucking it behind her ear. "I-hm." How was she going to tell him this without sounding like a complete idiot? "I _forgot_ my tent."

_That's it – rip it away like a band-aid._

"But it's fine – b-because," she stuttered, "I hm, I have my sleeping bag and we are camping and it's not really cold so I'll be fine!"

Part of him wanted to laugh at her predicament but he was well aware that it was perhaps not the best reaction to have. There was one thing for sure; he was not going to let Kagome sleep outside in the wilderness. Over his dead body. "Take mine."

"What?"

"Take my tent."

"Kouga, I am not taking your tent."

"I wasn't offering. I'm telling you. _You_ are taking _my_ tent."

"No," she insisted. "You're not sleeping out in the cold."

"I can _wolf out_," he replied with a wink. "I'm not discussing this any further," he added as he picked her up, forcing her in a standing position. He recovered her bag from the ground and began carrying her in direction of his tent.

_"Kouga_," she hushed out – but her words fell on deaf ears. She could see a few pair of eyes following them as he carried her through the camping ground, thrown over his shoulder as though she was a potato bag.

"Can't hear you," he replied with a grin.

As if he'd let his woman sleep out in the cold.

-O-

The rest of the day had gone by quickly. Despite her many protests, Kouga had shoved her in his tent and then, to avoid more complaining, he had gone running with the boys. Most of the pack had joined him, which had mostly left her by herself. Some couples had stayed behind obviously – but well, they were quite busy in their tents. She was grateful that she did not have a youkai's sensitive hearing at the moment. She opted to sit by the fire, relaxing with the quietness surrounding her and the fresh air.

By the time most people returned, the night had begun to fall, the fire providing the only light through its orange flames. She was leaning back on the log, her eyes closed and her head dipped backwards. She had not caught sight of Kouga yet but knowing him, he was making sure no one was left behind. A shiver ran across her skin as the wind picked up, the chillness of the night surrounding them. Maybe she should have taken her sweater with her instead of abandoning in the tent… And she did not want to go back since she already felt bad enough about stealing Kouga's tent.

At that exact moment, her world turned to black. It took her a moment – along with a panicked breath – before she realized someone had dumped something on her face. Her fingers clawed at it, feeling the cotton beneath her fingertips, and she pulled it away, gliding it down her body. _A grey sweatshirt_.

"Thought you might be cold."

The deep sound of his voice startled her and she snapped her head to the left, watching as he sat on a log near hers. "Didn't wanna go through your shit, so it's one of mine."

She was going to refuse it, but she remembered what happened the last time she did that. She did not quite want him to force dress her. "Thank you," she settled on saying as she slipped it on. Obviously, it was at least three sizes too big for her, the collar hanging at the front while her fingers were barely poking out of the sleeves. She bundled them up before tugging at the collar, leaning forward as she allowed herself a quick sniff. _It smelled like him_. She did not know if it was a cologne, his deodorant or his natural scent, but it was encapsulated into the fabric. She closed her eyes – a mere blink – as the scent invaded her nostrils. A beat passed and she let it go, refocusing her attention in front of her…

Ginta.

Ginta was sitting across from her and he was smiling.

Scratch that.

He was grinning.

_He saw her_. He _saw_ her sniffing Kouga's sweatshirt.

Oh god.

She was going to die. She was going to melt into goo right in front of him. A deep red color forming on her cheeks betrayed the growing shame inside of her. She pinched her lips together as she turned away from him, hoping to pretend as though she had not seen him. Unfortunately for her, that meant she was now looking at Kouga. Her blush deepened – and this time it did not go unnoticed.

Kouga gazed at her face, then at the vicinity. He found Ginta grinning and then winking at him, as thought there was something they were both aware of – except he was in on the little secret. He shook his head, confused. But that only made Ginta wink again. _Okay_? The idiot was probably excited because he had given Kagome his sweatshirt. He was not going to lie; it tickled him a little that she would be wearing his shirt. It would cover her in his scent. It would only be for a brief period, but he would take it.

Meanwhile, Kagome was doing her best to stare at the ground. She could not face Ginta and she could not look at Kouga; she was stuck. Clearly this whole trip had been a mistake from the start. She had come on an impulse. Inuyasha had finally confessed his feelings to Kikyo. And she had returned the sentiment. It was great but it did make her a third wheel. Kikyo had passed a comment, clearly under the impression that Kagome was into Inuyasha – she was not. They were friends. She then had the audacity to suggest that maybe Kagome should find her own _crush_.

It riled her up. She wasn't trying to steal anyone's boyfriend. She had a crush before – but it turned out the person wasn't interested. But then – Inuyasha swore he didn't have a chance with Kikyo and he did… She ran home, tears in her eyes and she grabbed her bag before dashing at Kouga's place. _Her old crush_. However, now that she was here she felt like a complete idiot. What did she think was going to happen? She would tell him she liked him and he suddenly would change how he felt?

He saw her as a friend, as part of his pack. Nothing more.

"You okay?"

"Mhm, mhm," she replied, her gaze away from him.

"Hungry?"

"For what, raw meat?" she teased. "You had a successful hunting?" The key was to act as natural as possible.

"Smart mouth," he said with a smirk. "Just for that, I should serve you bloody meat."

"Yuk."

"Don't knock it 'til you've tried it."

"I'll pass."

"What about hotdogs and beer?"

"That sounds more like it."

"Yes ma'am," he replied with a cheeky grin.

As she felt his presence retract, she found herself breathing a little easier. Although – it still left Ginta. What if he talked to Kouga and told him what he saw? She looked up only to find the wolf smiling at her, a finger pressed to his lips. _Was he promising her secrecy_? Could she believe him? She knew what her original plan had been but – no, before she had even stepped into the car she had already convinced herself it was stupid. It was a weekend with friends and nothing more than that.

-O-

"So…" he trailed off, unsure how to bring forth the topic. "_Change of plans_?"

"What do you mean?"

"What about with Inuyasha's birthday?"

He had told himself that he would not ask. He had not wanted to scare her away – but now that she was sort of stuck here, he figured there was no harm. Plus, they both had a couple of beers, meaning the conversation might flow a little easier. Worst case she would not tell him and that would be the end of that.

"He had a _date_."

A date? He always thought the stupid dog only had eyes for Kagome. He was also convinced that Kagome was head over heels in love with him. How could that idiot let such a chance slip by him? _What a fucking moron_. If he even had a mere chance with Kagome, he would do anything to hold on to it. "Oh."

"Yeah, so I didn't – I didn't want to intrude. But then I ended up intruding here…"

"Hey – _no_. You're pack, you're never intruding. I invited you remember?"

She smiled. "Yeah, I guess."

"That's better."

As Kagome was about to lean in to grab more marshmallows to shove on her stick, she felt something wet hit her hand. It was the only warning she got before water began pouring down from the sky. A yelp past her lips before she realized she was getting soaked. Kouga reacted a lot faster than her by grabbing her hand. "_Come on_," he shouted before they began running in direction of the tent.

It was not until they reached _his_ tent that the situation dawned on the both of them. _He had planned on sleeping outside_. She watched as his eyes traveled from her, to the tent – to their vicinity. He searched through the heavy raindrops until he spotted Ginta. "_Hey_, Ginta, I'm gonna bunk with you."

Ginta closed the distance between them. "No can do. I have Hakkaku with me. He's lending his tent to some people who were gonna camp outside." He smiled brightly as he turned to look at Kagome. "Why can't y'all sleep in his tent? Any reason? You two are friends right?"

If Kouga could have pummeled him straight to the ground, he would have. _That fucking asshole._ He knew how he felt about Kagome and now he was putting him on the spot. If he said anything wrong, she might pick up on something.

Kagome was more than glad that the rain was hiding her face or her expression would have given her up. So much for her trusting Ginta. He was using what he had seen – something she had not be allowed to explain - and he was twisting it around. What was she supposed to say? That it bothered her to have him sleep in his own tent? If anything, she should be the one who was tent-less not him.

"I-"

"Guys it's fucking pouring, I ain't got time to play musical tent," said Ginta before rushing back to his own tent. _And now he would let nature follow its course._

"Come on," Kagome said, avoiding his eyes. "Let's go." Ginta was right – they were getting more wet by the second and there was no point in arguing; it was his tent and he had every reason to be in it. She was the one who did not belong but obviously he was not going to leave her out in the rain. This was the only way.

She could feel his reluctance as he followed behind her, helping her unzip the tent. They both threw themselves in and then she bent over on all four to zip it back up. She sighed, her whole chest collapsing forward. Kagome ran her fingers through her wet hair, the tininess of their common place dawning on her. _Also_, she was soaked to the bone. Her clothes were hanging off her body due to the extra weight and she knew she could not spend the night like this.

Kouga reached out for the light he had hung at the top of the tent, turning on the switch to shed some light. Something was missing…

"Fuck," Kouga said as he wiped away his wet bangs. His grey shirt was clinging to his chest like a second skin. "My bag –" he started, cursing all the gods he could think of, "its outside –in the fucking rain." It meant it was all wet. He had given up his tent and he had not thought the whole thing through. Now he did not have a change of clothes and he did not have his sleeping bag.

"I'd lend you something – but somehow I don't think I'm your size," she said, trying to lessen the tension she felt bubbling inside of her.

He chuckled. "Not if you like your clothes in one piece." It was fine. It was camping. He had done a lot worse than sleeping in a tent without a sleeping bag. Although he had to say, he was not a fan of the wet clothes but he could make due. She however could not. "You're gonna get sick if you don't change."

"Right." Except – she was not alone in her tent. _Well his tent._

It was hard to miss the cute blush that painted over her pale cheeks. "I'll turn, I won't peek – I promise!" he said holding his hands up.

He probably would not even if he could, she thought. "Hm, yeah. I – I trust you."

Of course she trusted him; she did not see him as a potential suitor. He tried to not let the disappointment show on his face as he turned around, facing away from her. He heard her shuffle around in her bag, and then, the sound of his weight sweatshirt hitting the ground echoed in his ears. _She was getting undressed_. Right behind him. The woman he loved was getting naked behind him. _Focus_. _Boring thoughts_. He was not a hot headed teenager. He could _control_ himself. Now was not the time to turn around with a fucking boner in his pants. He was not at the height of his hormonal development.

Kagome could not resist turning her head every once in a while. What did she expect? That she would catch him peeking? He had no interest. She resigned herself and faced forward while her heart hammered inside of her chest. _Calm down_.

It was a tilt of the head, a squeeze of the neck – nothing more! And yet it was enough. For a mere second he caught the glimpse of naked flesh; her bare back. It had been enough to remind him that she was not his to look at and he was not going to break her trust. Instead, he closed his eyes, thinking about how he was going to get back at Ginta for this.

"You can turn around," she said in a small voice.

He obeyed, and turned, only to find her sitting with crossed legs. She had a small white shirt on and a blue pair of shorts. _Nothing too much_. Nothing that would drive him mad while he laid next to her all night. _Ah who the fuck was he kidding_. He was going to go mad no matter what she wore. She could have been naked or in a snowsuit; it would make no difference. He would not survive the night.

"What about you?"

"All my shit is outside. Even if I go get it, it's wet by now."

"You can't spend the night in wet clothes!"

"I'll be fine, I'm a youkai remember?"

"Youkai or not, you could still get sick!" she said with a frown. She did not want him to be sick because of her. If his stuff had been in his tent in the first place – like it should have been – none of this would be a problem! She was not going to let him spend the night in his wet clothes.

"I don't have any other clothes – and I can't wear yours…" It did not leave him with much options.

"Are your underwear wet?"

If it were not for his _excellent_ hearing, he might have missed what she said. She had ushered it so low, it was barely audible.

"My what?"

Goddamn it, he was going to make her repeat. "If you take off your pants and your shirt – it's like wearing a bathing suit right?" Her hands were on her legs, crumbling the fabric of her shorts. She did not want to sound like a pervert – and she could not believe she was even suggesting this but… honestly, it was the only option. It would make her a lot more uncomfortable than him – and she was willing to pay the price. It was her fault. Plus, they would sleep and come morning, he would be able to borrow something from the guys. It was fine.

In his boxers? He was going to spend the entire night laying next to her – in his boxers. Yep, he was right. He was going to die tonight. How could he say no? What logical explanation could he provide her with? "Are ya sure?" he tried.

"It's fine. Like I said, it's like a bathing suit. And Ginta said it –we're friends right?"

He nodded. "Friends."

-O-

The only sound that could be heard in the tent was the water hitting the fabric. The light inside the tent was off, while Kagome and Kouga laid next to each other – with quite a bit of space in between them – using her sleeping bag as a blanket. Kouga had protested but Kagome had ignored him, unzipped it and laid it across for the both of them to use. It was only fair. Plus it did _hide _him somewhat. Although he had not gotten completely naked, she had offered him privacy while he removed his clothes. It seemed insignificant since anyways, he was going to stay in his boxers but honestly? She did not think she could keep a straight face while he peeled away at his clothes.

Even after the whole undressing, she had barely been able to look at him. She had seen him shirtless before but this was different. The wet skin, the glistening abs – the boxers hugging around his thighs… the tightness of the fabric around his rear –_ nope_. This was exactly why sleep eluded her. Despite time ticking away, she had remained there, laying on her back with her eyes wide open. She had not dared to turn to look at Kouga once they had said goodnight; what if he thought she was staring at him? Plus, he had not talked… he had to be asleep right?

Kouga was trying really hard to keep his eyes closed but it was hard to ignore the distress emanating from her. She was upset about Inuyasha's date – she had to be. It bothered him but he could not tell her that. Did he dare breath the subject again when it was clear she had no desire to talk about it?

"I'm sorry," he finally said.

The sound of his voice nearly made her jump out of her skin. "W-what?"

"I'm sorry – _about Inuyasha's date_."

"Oh." She blinked. "Why?"

"Well I know – " Ugh, he was best putting his fucking foot in his mouth. "I know you like him."

In a flash, she turned to her side, slamming her hand down on the ground. "_Why does everyone think that_?"

"What?"

"Why does everyone think I have a crush on Inuyasha! Can't people be friends? Sure, I thought I might like him – but we would never make a good couple. We were drive each other crazy! My whole world doesn't resolve around him. I can have a crush on someone that's not him!" For a second, all she could hear was Kikyo's accusations.

"Woa," Kouga said as he sat up, the sleeping bag sliding off his skin and exposing his chest. "I'm sorry – I, hm, I always thought you liked him."

Kagome smacked herself in the face. "No – I'm, I'm sorry. I kinda got into it with _Kikyo_. She thought I was after him – and I'm sorry. You didn't do anything." She sighed as she copied his position and sat up, pushing the sleeping bag off of her. "I'm not someone who goes after someone else's boyfriend. And I – I just wanted to hang out with my friend for his birthday. He's like my best friend and it made me feel…"

"Like shit?"

She nodded.

"Sorry – clearly that girl doesn't know you if she thinks you'd do something like that." Kagome would hurt herself before she would hurt anyone else. She was loyal and devoted to her friends. She would never sink that low. Although, he had to admit he did not know how to process the fact that she did _not_ like Inuyasha – especially since she – wait… she said she had a crush? "_So wait_. You do like someone, just not mutt face?"

_Oh fuck_. She had said that hadn't she? _Fuck, fuck, fuck_. "Hm, well – it was – it's a crush. I mean, It's stupid."

"Do I know him?"

"Yes-" _Noooooo_. The response had slipped too easily. She hadn't wanted to say no because it might sound suspicious. He knew she did not have a huge friend circle. "But it doesn't matter – he doesn't like me."

Someone he knew. She liked someone he knew. He could feel a tingle in his fist; how did he miss it? "You asked him?"

"I don't have to. I know he doesn't."

That guy would have to be a complete idiot to not like her. "Then you don't know."

"I do know."

"Maybe I know. Who is he?"

"I'm not gonna tell you that."

"I have to check out this guy – make sure he's good enough for my woman." _That_ should be enough to hide the hint of jealousy he had been holding back.

Kagome swallowed. _This_. This was the kind of teasing that had originally made her think that he was into her. But he was not. "I'm over it."

"So what's the harm?"

"Kouga, really. I don't wanna say."

Her tone made it obvious that she did not want to pursue the issue at hand but part of him _needed_ to know. It had taken him a long time to resign himself into accepting that she liked that mutt face. Now, he was supposed to accept someone else? And what if that someone else did like her back? At least Inuyasha and him weren't really friends; he did not have to see the two of them together all the time. What if this was someone close to him? No, it couldn't be – they all knew how he felt about her… _who was it_?

"It's not even – it was a crush I _used_ to have and Kikyo messed with my head." She had gotten over it a long time ago. It did not matter.

"I guess I'll just have to torture it out of you."

"What?"

He gave her no warning before his fingers were at her sides, tickling her. She squirmed under him, her arms and legs flaying about as loud giggles were erupting out of her. She tried to beg him to stop but she could not manage full words as he towered over her with his larger body, keeping her trap in place – right there in between his legs. She foolishly attempted to grab his shoulders with her hands, hoping that if she could steady his arms she could catch a break. Unfortunately for her, Kouga was much faster. He grabbed her wrists before she even grazed his skin and pinned her arms above her head. He managed to hold both with one hand, leaving him free to pursue his torture.

"Do ya give up?" he asked as she wiggled beneath him.

"_No," _she replied between lost breaths. _He was cheating_. But she could cheat too.

She wrapped her fingers around his wrist and allowed a little _zap_ to come through. It was not big but it was enough to surprise him, and allow her to break free. She rolled off from under him, attempting to crawl free. He was smirking as he rubbed his wrist, the thrill of the chase running through his veins. It was a cramp space; there was nowhere for her to run. He grabbed her ankle, stopping her motions and gently tugged. He did not expect her to flip on her back, which launched him forward, forcing him to collapse on top of her. His forehead banged hers, his two arms wobbling as he tried to steady himself, one hand planted on each side of her body.

The giggles were dying down as he tore himself away from her, their heads no longer touching. Her chest was rising up and down rapidly, touching his with each breath she took. He should have sat up but instead he hovered on top of her, his nose threatening to brush up against hers but never doing so. _Pull away_ he was telling himself. There was no laughter left, no sounds, just the intensity of the gaze. Kagome could hear her heart thundering as her mouth began to feel like paste. She was suddenly so aware of his clad state, the fact that she was braless and the largeness of his body compared to hers.

_Stay down_, she told herself. She saw him move, lowering himself… was he gonna? She did not think twice.

Her lips were on his.

He was going to move away, remove himself from her body but the sudden kiss was enough to freeze him in his spot. Had she? Did she? There was no way. The magnitude of the event caused him to become like a statue. He could not possibly be kissing Kagome. It made no sense. She would never – they would never – _nope_. His brain refused to let her action sink in. It had been an accident; it was the only logical explanation.

Except, from the other side – it felt like a rejection. After a second, she did not feel him return the kiss and panic took hold of her heart. She felt the sweatiness of her palm, the dryness of her throat and one sweat bead rolling down the nape of her neck. _Oh no_. Why? Idiot! IDIOT! The only thing she could think of was to push him away and drag her body away from underneath his. She managed to do it, although she nearly stumbled forward and immediately she hid her face in her hands; how was she going to recover from this? There was no way she was going to spend the night in a tent with him! _She would rather sleep outside_.

Her bottom lip trembled as she let her hands drag down. "I'm – I'm sorry. Just – don't…" Kouga was nice. He would try to make her feel better. But it really wasn't his job to do that. "I'm sorry – don't worry, I'm fine. Like I said, it was a long time ago, I'm over it. I know we're just friends and – I don't know why I did that…"

Only half the words she was rambling about registered in his brain as he sat up in front of her. A long time ago? Wait. He – he was the crush? No, wait what. She had a crush on him? _Kagome_ had a crush on him? "Wait- what are you saying?"

"I'm sorry," she babbled.

"No – no wait – a long time ago?"

"It was my mistake," she explained waving her arms in front of her body. "I thought you were actually flirting with me when we first met – so I thought maybe but then –"

"I was."

"What?"

"I was flirting with you. But you – you didn't seem interested."

She blinked. "You never made a move."

He quirked an eyebrow. "I was pretty clearly flirting with you every time."

"I thought that was just a thing you did."

"And I thought you were letting me down gently by brushing off my comments."

"I just – I thought if you were interested… you would have asked me out."

"I thought you would have flirted back," he smacked his hand on the back of his neck. "Then I thought you were into the mutt…"

"And I thought you were just trying to be friendly and welcome me into the pack…"

Kagome. _His_ Kagome liked him. She had a crush on him and all this time… oh god he had wasted so much time. "I'm a fucking idiot." He was not known for giving up. He had honestly thought she was not interested. No matter how much he teased and flirted… she seemed uninterested. Well he was not going to waste another second.

He launched himself forward, grabbing her face with his hands. He might have ruined the first kiss but he wasn't going to waste the second one. He captured her lips with his, tasting the sweetness of her mouth for the first time. She leaned into him, her body pressed against his as he dove in, the taste of her mouth like a nectar he needed to live. _He was fucking kissing her_. She moaned in his mouth as his large hand palmed at her back and he felt a feral roar in his chest. _Fucking idiot_.

After what felt like forward, he let her go free, a last suckle on her bottom lip. He touched his forehead to hers, grinning. "Think we can do something about that _old_ crush."

Her lips were swollen, her eyes half-lidded as she looked up at him. "Maybe."

"See – told ya he probably liked you back."

She smacked him on the side of the arm. "Smart ass."

"Hey you're the one who likes smart asses."

She shook her head before using her powers to gently zap him on the chest as she pushed him away. "I change my mind. I'm over it," she said as she returned to her side of the tent.

He arched an eyebrow. "Yeah, I've played games long enough. I'm done wasting time with my woman."

"Your woman?"

"Damn right," he said as he reached out for her hand, pulling her closer. "Didn't I ever tell ya that wolves mate for life?"

"Settle down mister."

"I mean, I am already practically naked."

"I'll zap ya."

He chuckled as he raised a hand, pretending to zip his mouth shut.

He knew one thing for sure; this was about to be the _longest_ night of his life.

~~The End~~


End file.
